Robert the haunted doll

It’s a little known fact that the “Child’s Play” films were actually based off of a real life haunted doll. Crazy, right! In fact, you can actually visit this doll today, if you’re brave enough! Check out this twisted legend!

So Robert was a hand sewn doll that looks to be about 3 feet tall. His eyes are black orbs sewn onto a scantly featured face, and he’s dressed in a cute little sailor suit and even has a hat. The doll was given to the son of Thomas Otto by a fired servant that was known to practice witch craft. The boy named the doll after himself and the two of them became inseparable.

Now it’s normal for small children to have pretend friends, Robert’s just happened to be a doll, or was it? It was said that Robert would stay in his room for hours with the doll, when his mother would come to his room to check on him she could distinctly hear 2 voices, Robert’s and “something” else.

Things then began happening all over the house, odd things would turn up missing and be found in the strangest places. Things would be broken as well, it seemed that Robert, the doll, had a thing for destroying stuffed animals. He was also spotted running up the stairs, and taunting folks, mostly children, from the second story window as they walked by. Plenty of folks heard him walking around and many of them heard him giggling.

Oh and check this out, So this wicked looking little doll creeps up behind a plumber one day, sits on the floor and starts giggling at him. Robert was probably laughing at his ass crack right! Well, That dude hauled ass out of the house in the middle of the job, left his tools and everything!

Anyway, at some point the kid’s parents take the doll away from him and store it in the attic. Well, he didn’t like it up there, he kept popping up in the house and had to be taken back to the attic several times. Eventually things settled somewhat, but there were always the occasional bump in the night or wicked giggling seeping through the walls. But, eventually Robert, the kid, grew up, moved away and married. When his parents died, he inherits the house, and rediscovers the doll.

Well his wife hates the creepy looking little bastard, but Robert, has been sucked back in and has grown reattached to the doll, which at this point he claims needs his own bedroom that faces the street. But the wife eventually wins out, and the doll goes back into the attic. Again, it has to be taken back to the attic several times cause he keeps turning up all over the house. and of course, there was the occasional bumping around and giggling from above.

In 1972 Robert dies and the house is sold to another family, with a 10 year old girl. So, the girl finds the doll and starts the hole shit-storm all over again. These parents were a bit smarter though. When enough misfortune had plagued their home, they donated Robert to the Key West Martello museum.

Today he sits behind a glass case, most of the time, when he’s not tapping on the glass or giggling at those who pass by him. Robert is known to turn the lights on after hours and it’s a well known fact among the staff that he walks around the museum at night. His feet are always covered with fresh dust and require cleaning almost daily.

Many folks have photographed activity around Robert, check out the following photos: